In a ham-fisted attempt to recognize Gold Star parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan—more than twelve years after the death of their son during “Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq”— Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer instead embarrassed himself.

After reading through a resolution that honored the parents of fallen soldier, Captain Humayun Khan (but did not directly honor Captain Kahn himself), Signer took a moment of personal privilege to bestow a gift upon the Khans.

Mayor Signer, in his remarks, bizarrely went on to promote the book by mentioning his hope that people who generally focus on Thomas Jefferson—as Mr. Khan stated he has done— would take note of Madison’s contributions to the nation’s founding.

At the presentation’s conclusion, Khizr and Ghazala Khan seemed genuinely grateful for their recognition before City Council and for the subsequent affection displayed by the audience. Mayor Mike Signer, however—stealing a page from Barack Obama’s self-aggrandizing playbook—took what should have been a thoroughly graceful moment and turned it slightly awkward.

Update 8/17/2016: H/T to reader “Jim” who notes that “Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq”, as referenced in the Charlottesville resolution, was actually Afghanistan, and Captain Humayun Khan died in “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

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Rob Schilling is a radio broadcaster from Virginia and a content partner at Bearing Drift.

Anonymous Is A Woman

You know, mean spirited carping on a mayor, which takes away from the honor bestowed on a Gold Star family, only sounds like sour grapes. It won’t win many fans or voters. Or even new readers. Surely, there are disagreements and complaints of more substance you can air in a serious and respected blog that is widely read?